Blue Coffee Cup
by mysterymuse
Summary: "Her heart was pounding. He got her a coffee cup. *Every morning I bring you a cup of coffee just so I can see a smile on your face.* All their looks, caresses, glances, touches, and unspoken promises wrapped into one gift."
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This idea came to me as I started to see Beckett constantly drinking from the same blue coffee cup. Enjoy!**

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_Coffee is symbolic for those two characters, no matter who brings the coffee, her or me, it's like this is our Good Morning Kiss - a way of saying without actually using words: 'Good morning, my heart. How are you doing'_- Nathan Fillion

* * *

"Open it," he murmured softly as he came up behind her, arms snagging her around the waist.

"Castle, we promised each other no gifts," she protested quietly, unconsciously melting into his warm embrace.

"It's not what you think, open it," he pleaded, his nose gently nudging her ear in encouragement.

She shivered as his warm breath washed over her and closed her eyes for a moment, reveling in the safety she felt in his arms. Her fortress. Her Castle. Shit. He was making her sappy.

"There's no time like the _present_, Kate."

"Thought that one up all by yourself?"

"I try my best to please." She could feel him smiling as he dropped a kiss into her hair.

Her heart flipped. Damn. Just a peck, and her pulse was racing.

It had been four months of exploring and wrapping themselves up in each other. Four months of just being _them_.

And she still couldn't get enough. She didn't think she'd ever will.

And that's what scared the crap out of her, realizing how much she needed him- _wanted_ him.

But he made it easy. Because loving him was easy.

"Hey, what's up?"

"Just thinking."

"About what's inside the present?" he asked eagerly.

She chuckled lightly. He was such a child sometimes, but that was one of the things that drew her to him-his love of life and vibrant personality.

"No," she whispered in response.

She turned in his arms, wrapping her arms around his waist and laid her head on his chest, breathing in his scent.

"About us. About how far we've come."

Castle looked down at her in awe, eyes shining with unadulterated adoration and tenderness.

She was never open with her thoughts, but that's what he did to her. He opened her up in ways no one else could. Because he loved her. All of her.

Castle traced a finger along her cheek, blazing a trail of warmth in its path, eventually tucking a piece of hair behind her ear.

"Thanks," he whispered hoarsely.

"For what?"

"Sharing. Letting me in. Letting me love you."

Oh.

"I-, Rick I-" she fumbled trying to form the words she needed to tell. Needed him to hear.

"Kate, it's ok. I know." He smiled at her, eyes sparkling.

"But-"

He stopped her with his lips, moving them softly against hers, a message in more ways than one. She pulled him closer, opening her mouth to his, showing him what she couldn't say.

Castle pulled away, breathing heavily.

"I think I'll interrupt you more often."

"Your techniques are most effective."

His chest rumbled with laughter as he squeezed her a little tighter.

"I think you're ready," said Castle.

"For what?"

"To open the present. I know you're dying to know what's inside," he murmured in her ear before pulling away from their embrace, and leading her to his counter with a tug of his hand on hers.

"The present that I told you specifically not to get because we don't need to give each other gifts on our four month anniversary?" she retorted.

"Yes, that one." He smiled crookedly at her, making her heart skip a beat.

He was wearing his heart on his sleeve, wanting her to know how much she meant to him. And it scared her how real it all was, but she could give him this; her love and acceptance.

"Ok, fine. I'll open it, but don't expect me to get a gift for you in return."

"You're the only gift I need."

She arched an eyebrow at him.

"You are such a sap."

"It makes you want me, right?"

Maybe.

She didn't answer him and instead busied herself with opening the damn present. It was a brown box topped with a cute, purple bow. It was sweet and simple. Her heart tore a little at the thought. With her broken past and morbid job, not much in her life was sweet and simple, yet with Rick, somehow sweet and simple was possible.

"Ladies and gentlemen, drum roll please," said Castle as he beat his fingers in a staccato rhythm against the counter. She rolled her eyes, but was smiling inside at his adorableness.

She took the lid off the box as Castle mimicked cymbals crashing.

Her breath hitched as she stared at the item nestled in tissue paper.

A blue coffee cup.

"Do you like it?" asked Castle earnestly, "It's ceramic, which will keep your coffee nice and warm, and it's a little larger..."

Her heart was pounding. He got her a coffee cup. "_Every morning I bring you a cup of coffee just so I can see a smile on your face."_ All their looks, caresses, glances, touches, and unspoken promises wrapped into one gift. Her heart swelled and she couldn't help but feel a rush of affection for the beautiful, loving man before her.

"...than regular coffee cups, but that's just because I know you can't get enough of coffee, you being an addict and all. It's also a little classier than those precinct mugs, and you're a classy-"

"I love it," she breathed, interrupting his nervous rambling. _I love you._

"You love it?" he asked excitedly, eyes lighting up with joy.

"I really, really love it," she whispered, looking straight at him. _I love you._

His eyes softened and he hugged her, burying his face in her hair.

"Glad I could be of service," he murmured, softly stroking her back.

"Thank you," she whispered. For everything. She didn't deserve this sweet, wonderful man.

"I know your favorite color is purple, but the blue reminded me of-"

"Your eyes," she blurted, a blush creeping into her cheeks as she realized what she said.

His eyes softened as he teasingly remarked, "Who's the sap now?"

She smacked him lightly on the chest before leaning in and giving him a chaste kiss.

"Only for you, Writer Man." She smiled at him, gazing into his cobalt eyes.

He smiled crookedly back before capturing her lips again for a swift kiss.

"You know what else the blue reminds me of?" he asked as he tripped his fingers up her arm.

"Hmm?"

"Your sexy police uniform, which you have yet to share," he remarked, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

"In your dreams, Castle."

"Oh, I assure you, they are," he purred, tracing his lips on the shell of her ear.

Ugh. She tugged his ear, yanking him away.

"Aaaaaaples, aaaples, apples!"

She let go and smoothed her hand across his chest, smiling mischievously at him while he rubbed his ear, a pout adorning his face.

"Don't pout, Ricky, Christmas is around the corner," she teased, pulling away from him.

"You mean?" his voice raised in hope and slightly contained joy.

"I might just have a present for you after all."

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Thoughts?


	2. Peached

**A/N: I feel giddy every time I see Beckett sipping from her blue coffee cup on screen. I decided to continue this little ficlet because it inspires me at random moments and is bursting with possibilities. (Takes place loosely after _Reality Star Struck_) HAPPY _almost_ 100 EPISODES!**

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He stared. She bit her lip in concentration as she scribbled in her statement from their latest case.

He would never get tired of watching her; she was beautiful in the dimly lit precinct, the light forming a soft halo on her chestnut curls.

There were never going to be enough books to describe her, and he would be glad to spend the rest of his life trying to fill those pages.

Nine months. Nine months of falling into a pattern, finding out the little quirks. She liked to snuggle. She did yoga. They had fights. The make-up sex was fantastic. She surprised him everyday and the best part? She liked s'moreletts.

He had a drawer at her place. She had closet space at his.

He ached to have her with him all the time, and it wasn't always the same when they were at the precinct. She was soft and warm and tender when she was alone with him. He got to play with her hair and run his fingers up and down her smooth skin. He loved the rare days when they stayed in and spent the day in bed reading...among other things.

Speaking of other things, he wondered if she was up for a little rendezvous in the supply closet. They had yet to experience it.

"Hey, Becks."

"Don't call me that," she muttered, continuing to concentrate on her paperwork.

"It's so cute when you get angry," he teased.

She looked up at him, sighing. "It's getting late, shouldn't you be heading home?'

"Why? You're so much more interesting. Besides, Alexis abandoned our movie night for her boyfriend."

"How is the boyfriend?" she asked, scrunching her eyebrows in confusion as she re-checked the name for the witness.

His heart skipped a beat. He loved that this woman, this remarkable, fierce, beautiful specimen, was asking about his daughter. She was opening her heart not only to him, but his daughter and taking an interest. It made him fall for her all over again.

"Haven't had the chance to meet him yet, but he seems to make Alexis happy, so I'm not worrying," he expressed nonchalantly.

She arched an eyebrow at him as she set her pen down and turned towards him.

"You mean to tell me you have yet to meet her boyfriend of three months, and you're not worrying about it," she shot at him, making air quotes as she said worrying. She crossed her arms across he chest and leaned back in her chair, eyeing him skeptically.

"Nope, not worrying. If Alexis wanted me to meet him, then she would do it when she feels like it's the right time. And don't judge me, you didn't tell your father about us until a month in," he rebutted, slightly miffed.

"That is a completely different situation, and keep your voice down, Gates is still here," she hissed, swinging her chair back to face her desk, and picking up her pen.

"Uh huh, completely different," he reiterated sarcastically.

She gave him a look, telling him to shut up.

"You know what, how about I get you some coffee? You seem cranky."

She stared at him, giving him _the_ look. Uh oh, he definitely knew that look. He was in for it, maybe he shouldn't have used the word cranky.

"Look, I'm standing up, and leaving you in peace. Be back in a jiff," he said quickly, scurrying away before her glare burned a hole in him.

He glanced back at her on his way to the break room, only to see her trying to hide a smile as she once again returned to her paperwork.

"Mr. Castle," grunted a voice in greeting and he turned his head to find Gates occupying the break room.

"Uh, Captain Gates, evenin' sir," he fumbled, grimacing at his lack of eloquence.

Gates raised her eyebrow at him, but chose to ignore him and continued the task of making her coffee, reaching for a mug hanging from one of the hooks on the wall.

He saw her fingers hover over the traditional 12th Precinct mug before they skirted over to a more unique, welcoming cup.

'Wrong. Wrong cup! Abort, abort,' thought Castle as Gates's hand grasped the handle of Beckett's blue coffee cup, lifting it from its place on the wall.

"Uhm, Sir?" he asked carefully.

"Yes, Mr. Castle," she responded, exasperated.

"That cup your holding belongs to Detective Beckett...Sir," he said slowly, as if approaching a beehive.

"I wasn't aware that there were specific ownerships of precinct mugs," she said, her voice piqued with annoyance.

"Her name's on it, on the bottom, where I got it in engraved," he replied hastily, realizing his mistake too late when Gates' eyebrows rocketed sky high.

It was as if everything went into slow motion, Gates' fingers caressing their way down the belly of the cup, her tilting it slightly to catch the words adorning the bottom, and her look of astonishment as the words sunk in.

_To Kate, my heart._

Beckett had teased him for being so cheesy, but the sex afterwards, oh yeah, she thanked him. Profusely. His blood rushed south as he began thinking of the ways her hands had felt on him, and-shit, not the time. Gates was staring at him.

"Let me get this correct, you got this engraved?"

"Did I say that?"

"Yes, you said, 'where I got it engraved'," she repeated emphatically.

"Oh, "I"! That's short for Ivy...her sister," volleyed Castle, trying to come off as smooth as possible.

"I wasn't aware Detective Beckett had a sister," Gates returned, unconvinced.

"Well, now you know," he said happily, adorning his face with a cheesy smile, hoping she would swallow it.

"It seems to me, they share a very close bond," she prodded, scratching the embedded _my heart_ with her nail.

"That they do Captain, that they do," he said adamantly, wincing slightly as the words spilled from his lips.

"Mr. Castle, do I look like a rookie to you?" she asked, her tone threatening.

"No, Sir," he said quickly.

"Would you like to change your story?"

"I stand by it."

"Mr. Castle," she seethed through clenched teeth.

"Beckett doesn't have a sister?" he caved, stating it like a question, unsure of what game they were playing.

"That's better. Now, would you care to explain?" she demanded, jerking the cup in indication.

"It's a little joke between Detective Beckett and I, you see. We share a very platonic relationship, I would have you know. When I say heart, I mean it in an intellectual and...platonic way."

She stared at him in utter disbelief.

"You said platonic twice," she deadpanned. "Don't think I don't know what's going on between you and _Kate." _Her finger waved in his face. "I'm sure you are well aware of what the rules are, here at the twelfth, but you like to work around them just the same."

He gulped. This was not good, not good at all. It was over. Oh god, he was going to die.

"Despite my best efforts to throw you out, you keep coming back and as much as I hate to admit it, you help this team."

This didn't feel like death.

"Just keep it clean at the precinct and don't let it get in the way in the field." She straightened her blazer and pushed the cup into his chest saying, "And be sure to put in a good word to the mayor," she emphasized as he nodded his head dumbly.

He may not have died, but he somehow landed in heaven. He walked back to Beckett's desk in a daze, setting her cup down, sans coffee.

"Castle, where's my coffee?"

"Uh.."

"Earth to Castle?"

Ok, he was going to say it fast and scram.

"Gatesknowsaboutus," he reeled off, waiting for the bomb to explode.

"Excuse me?"

"Gotta go."

He kissed her on the cheek, catching her completely off guard, snatched his jacket, and practically ran to the elevator. It opened for him as he pressed the button frantically, and he hopped in, urging the doors to close.

Phew, that was close.

In the taxi, his phone beeped. Uh oh.

_What the hell did you say to her?_

_**Pleading the fifth.**_

_You're dead._

_**Woah, careful. I know a homicide detective and threats like that could get you into trouble.**_

_Castle._

He could sense her rolling her eyes and squeezed his eyes shut as he unwillingly pressed send on the next message.

_**She may have seen a certain inscription on a certain coffee cup. **_

_Crap...what did she say?_

_**She said keep it PG at the precinct and our feelings off the field, but to carry on as we please.**_

_Shut the front door. _

_**Oh, we did.**_

* * *

When she opened the loft door an hour later with her brand-new key he gave her just the week before, he was writing on the couch.

"Hey," she murmured softly, unbuttoning her coat and setting her bag down.

"Hey babe," he responded, absorbed in his writing.

"Did you just babe me?"

"Did I?"

He saved his document and finally looked up at her, smiling sheepishly.

She shook her head unbelievably, but leaned down to kiss him.

"Does this mean you forgive me?"

"Forgive you for what?"

"For running out on you without making your coffee and you know," he motioned between them, "Gates."

She quirked her lips and pretended to ponder for a moment.

"I think I'll let it slide."

"Really?" he asked hopefully.

"Do you think so little of the power of my forgiveness?"

"No, but without your dose of coffee who knows what might happen."

She chuckled softly, and sat herself next to him on the couch, leaning into his side and he wrapped his arms around her, resting his chin on her hair.

"So, Gates knows," she exhaled, trailing her fingers on his thigh.

"Yup, cat's out of the bag. The beans have been spilled. We've been peached."

"Peached?"

"Exposed, revealed, divulged. Take your pick."

He ran his hands up and down her arms.

"A bit anticlimactic, don't you think?" she wondered.

"I don't know, me making a run for it was pretty exciting."

"Indubitably."

* * *

He was stroking her hair before she suddenly turned to him, struck by a sudden thought.

"Hey, guess what?"

"What?"

"Since I finished my paperwork, I'm only on-call."

"Is that so?" he queried playfully, his fingers feathering down her side to cradle her hip.

"Uh huh." Her hand slid slowly up his thigh as she brushed her lips against his jaw. "We could have our John Woo marathon. I think it's long overdue."

"I think I have an idea of another marathon we could partake in."

"Oh?" She quirked her eyebrows, smiling knowingly as she leaned in to smooth her lips against his in a chaste kiss.

"Mhmm." he managed as he deepened their kiss, hooking his hands behind her thighs and hoisting her into his lap. Heat began to simmer as their kisses grew more urgent, and he began a trail across her jaw and down her neck.

"Might as well," she gasped," get started," as he reached that spot behind her ear, worshiping where her skin was sensitive and silky.

"I like the way you think."

"Less talking, more doing."

"Oo, bossy. I think I like you without coffee, too."

"Castle. Bed."

"On it."

"We better be."

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**A/N: 100 EPISODES PEOPLE! We're almost there, I am so excited! Let me know what you think:)**


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